


Average Girl

by Kurisuta



Series: Beautiful Ending [1]
Category: Cirque du Freak | The Saga of Darren Shan - Darren Shan, House of Night - P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Genre: Canon Rewrite, F/M, Foxes, Imprinting, Kitsune, Magic, Magic-Users, Not Quite Underage, Original Character(s), Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Priestesses, Vampaneze, Vampires, Vampyres
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:15:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27441778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kurisuta/pseuds/Kurisuta
Summary: After her twin sister and voice is taken from her, Kuri discovers a vampire named Crepsley is responsible. Kuri decides to find the vampire and take back her sister, but to do this she must become a vampire. Her journey into the clan bonds her to Darren Shan, and brings her to a place of leadership she never thought possible.
Relationships: Darren Shan/Original Female Character(s), Larten Crepsley/Original Character(s)
Series: Beautiful Ending [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2004832





	1. Marked

Kuri Hikawa headed out onto the soccer field. She was just planning on watching; she liked to watch the sport being played, and Darren was playing today. He was a really good soccer player.

Truth was, she was in a really bad mood.

Her twin sister, Reiko, was heading off to finishing school tomorrow.

Kuri didn’t have any friends, and actually didn’t even speak out loud. Her sister had always spoken for her. The two thought they were perfectly normal until they first attended school in kindergarten.

That was when the incident happened.

Kuri had been taking care of the class pet, a gerbil, when some little girls and began to pick on her and bully her, trying to get her to speak. They knew she was soft on animals, so one of them had threatened Gerbie the gerbil.

Thinking back, Kuri knew the gerbil had been in no danger from a five-year-old girl, but she hadn’t known that then.

So she had gotten angry. All she could remember was glaring at the girl and then she crumpled.

They’d had to move. The girl had gone into a coma, and she recovered after two weeks, but Kuri had been devastated. She was sure she had killed that girl.

So even though she had the ability to talk at her age, she didn’t. No talking. No friends. Nothing.

But then Reiko had been chosen by the strange recruiter, Mr Crepsley. He had chosen her to go into a special honors program, and they couldn’t say no.

Kuri sighed silently. Looks like another win for their team, but—oh man, she couldn’t believe it! The older kids were picking on Darren.

Maybe she was stupid, or maybe she needed someone now that Reiko was leaving. But Kuri couldn’t let this stand.

Kuri ran up and stood between Darren and the bullies, a fierce look on her face.

“Leave him alone.” Kuri said.

“She can talk!” The older kids yelled.

“Whoa you made the mute talk Darren!” Steve said. “She’s pretty tough too.”

“She has a name. It’s Kuri. I know you guys. Darren, Steve, Tommy, Alan. Best soccer players in the class.” Kuri said.

“You live in the big temple right?” Darren said. “I heard it’s haunted.”

“Sure is.” Kuri said. “I’m a priestess in training. Ghosts don’t scare me. Some of them are helpful actually.”

“So is it true you killed a kid?” Steve asked.

“Steve!” Darren said.

“I didn’t kill anyone.” Kuri said.

“So why did you wait till now to start talking? And why us and not some girl or something?” Steve said.

“All the girls here are annoying. I started talking today because my sister isn’t here to talk for me anymore.” Kuri said. “She went away. Now. Who wants to come visit Hikawa Shrine?”


	2. Hikawa Shrine

“So this is the creepy Hikawa Shrine. So where are the ghosts?” Steve asked.

“If you’re good I’ll summon a demon to follow you home.” Kuri snapped.

“I knew there was something I liked about you.” Steve responded offhandedly.

Kuri headed for the door and opened the partition. “Shoes off. And if you see my Grams, bow at the waist or you might wake up tomorrow morning underwater.”

Darren took off his shoes and followed her inside. He had never seen a traditional Japanese temple before. It was eerily quiet, hard to picture anyone actually living here, though he could imagine ghosts hanging out here. It actually gave him the creeps.

Kuri walked over to what appeared to be an altar, clapped her hands twice and knelt, lighting incense. She then said a prayer in Japanese.

“So...what god are you praying to?” Steve knelt next to her.

Darren wasn’t sure why Steve was acting so reverent and reserved all of a sudden, but he had a sneaking suspicion it was because Kuri happened to be very pretty.

“Goddess.” Kuri corrected. “The goddess of Chaos.”

“Wait why would you pray to a goddess who brings Chaos?” Darren asked.

“Darkness does not always equate to evil, and Light does not always equate to good.” Kuri recited. “Chaos is the goddess who created the yokai. Creatures of supernatural intent misunderstood by humans.”

“You mean monsters?” Steve said excitedly.

“Monsters...yes I guess you could indeed say that.” Kuri said.

“Kuri!” Grams entered the receiving room. “You cannot just bring guests here. They are outsiders! Get them out of here! NOW!”

Kuri sighed and whispered. “Bow at the waist. Hurry!”

Darren and Steve obeyed, bowing at the waist.

“Don’t look up, don’t make eye contact. Back out, and only straighten when you are outside the temple walls.” Kuri hissed.

The two boys did what she said, not sure why but terrified of the old woman wearing the kimono and waving bells at them.

“Grams they’re gone.” They heard her say.

Darren and Steve looked at each other and laughed, glad to have survived.

Xxx

"The full moon is a magical time when the veil between the known and unknown is thin, and can even be lifted. That is mysterious and wonderful, and I honor the fact that this world is made up of more things than my eyes can see. May the unseen protect and guide me. The full moon is also an excellent time to complete, or end, things. Tonight I ask that you may guide me, Nyx, and give me wisdom in whom to choose for my circle in these troubling times.”

Kiana blew out her purple candle, then green, blue, red, and finally yellow, walking in a counterclockwise direction to do so.

She was surprised to hear a quiet breath and smell the scent of vampire behind her.

“Reveal yourself, vampire!” Kiana exclaimed, trying to keep her voice steady. “We are neutral with your kind!”

A man, with long blonde hair in a ponytail, and graceful features, fell to one knee and fisted across his chest. “Merry meet, Merry part, and Merry meet again, High Priestess of Nyx. I am Kurda.”

“N-No—“ Kiana stammered and slipped on candle wax, falling in a very un-graceful heap at the vampire’s feet. “I’m just a fledgling. I’m Kiana Hikawa. I’m a High Priestess-in training. I got here a few weeks ago.”

She laughed off her fall and helped the vampire to his feet. “I have to get going. Neferet is expecting me back at the House of Night.”

Kurda caught her hand. “I want to talk with you some more. Meet me again tomorrow night.”

“O-Ok.”


	3. Meeting

“Kuri, we have a guest.” Grams said, waking her in the middle of the night. “Put on your formal hakama.”

Kuri went and put on her formal miko outfit, then came out to see a man seated in the formal Japanese fashion, on his knees, in front of Chaos’ altar.

The man had a scar on his face and a shock of red hair. He was burning traditional incense and praying to the Goddess.

“This man is Larten Crepsley.” Grams said. “He has come to see you.”

“To see...me?” Kuri repeated. Doesn’t she mean to see her? Everyone comes to see Grams. She has a string of lovers across the world, not to mention how far her coven reaches, although she insists it was disbanded after several of them got a little too obsessed with vanity. And that’s the man who came for Reiko.

Larten got up and walked over to her. He parted her hair, and touched her forehead.

“Ah yes. The Goddess’ Mark is apparent on her already. And you say she has gifts?” Larten said.

“Gifts? You mean the way I hurt those people? Grams what is going—“ Kuri stopped, coughing and hacking, falling to her knees.

“So you remember I came here recently and took the elder sister.” Larten said.

“Yes,” Grams said. “You said Reiko was the chosen High Priestess to the Vampires.”

Kuri gripped her chest. Vampaneze? Is this about Vampyres?

Everyone knew about Vampyres. It was an illness that affected one in ten of humankind. The human would then become a fledgling, and be brought to live with Vampyres. Of that few, only one in ten fledglings survived to adulthood, the others dying. Those that did become full fledged Vampyres were powerful beings, and decorated human obsession as celebrities, politicians, and the like.

Kuri lifted her head, trying to stifle the coughing. Is that what happened to sister? Is she a Vampyre?

“...has rejected the Change...” Grams continued. “Yes Kurda informed me this afternoon. Reiko is dead.”

“Regardless of that,” Larten said. “We must press on. Kurisuta is to be welcomed by my brethren as our High Priestess.”

“Tell me, how did you know of my granddaughter’s destiny?” Grams asked. “I only know because my dearest Atsuko, my daughter, had a vision when pregnant with the twins. A vision of a future brought about by the two of them.”

“I should think that you know Evanna has sent me.” Larten laughed.

Evanna? Aunt Evanna? Kuri coughed again, images shifting in her mind of the strange woman who often led the coven in days past, with all of her frogs. She had been the only one, back then, who could make the horrifying nightmares stop.

“If you choose to take her, I must warn you...there was an incident, when Atsuko was pregnant...” Grams said. “I had her ingest a wicked spirit, for purification, and we were unaware of her pregnancy. I have reason to believe that thing dwells inside Kuri. That would be the reason why such a gentle child is capable of such violent behavior. I say this...because I do not know if even you would be a match for her.”

To Kuri’s surprise, Larten smiled. “I doubt that will be a problem. I have arranged for a friend of hers to join us.”

A low growl escaped Kuri’s throat, but it turned into a cough and spasm.

“You won’t hurt Darren Shan, will you Kuri?”

Xxx

Kiana saw a rainbow.

She stopped and took a moment to study the different colors and how one lead into another. As she gazed at the rainbow, she connected something positive to each color. Yellow reminded her of the beauty of her home. Blue made her think of new beginnings and the promise of a bright future. Each color was unique to Kiana.

She imagined she was wrapping herself in each ribbon of color, and at the same time wrapping herself in positive energy. When she finished with the last color, she threw her arms up and her head back and whirled around three times

“Thank you Nyx,” Kiana said. “for the beauty and positive energy of rainbows.”

“I have never seen a ritual quite like that before,” Kurda said, watching, always watching.

“It was a Rainbow Ritual,” Kiana replied. “I wanted you to see the colors the way I see them.”

“The way they wrapped themselves around you,” Kurda said. “That was fantastic. I would like to learn more about vampyres, but tonight I have an important meeting. Would you forgive me?”

Kiana nodded, and he kissed her cheek.

“I will return tomorrow night.”


	4. Cirque du Freak

Kuri woke up in her bed, not coughing anymore but still feeling lousy.

She headed to the park to meet with Darren and Steve, as it was a Saturday.

“You look like hell.” Steve said. “You still wanna go with us?”

“Yeah, you said you had an awesome surprise!” Kuri said. “I’m not missing it.”

Darren showed her the flyer. Kuri read over it, not missing the fact that Larten Crepsley was featured.

“I’m going.” Kuri confirmed, handing Steve ticket money. “I know you already bought the tickets. Lets go now and get a good seat.”

The three headed to the theater, and Kuri coughed several times as they walked.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Darren said.

“Yes I’m ok.” Kuri said, covering her mouth.

They all sat down, and watched the show. It was amazing, and Kuri tried to enjoy it, even though she was feeling delirious.

Finally Larten came on stage, surprising Kuri with his assistant- Rei. She felt Steve stiffen next to her as he looked at Larten, and a sharp intake of breath.

She registered the crescent Mark on Reiko’s forehead and darkness suddenly claimed her vision as she went down.

Reiko was a vampyre.

Xxx

It was the night of a new moon. Kiana went outside and lay on her back someplace on the peaceful hill where she had been meeting Kurda. She waited, getting comfortable. She drew three deep, centering breaths. She thought about the perfect guy for her, trying not to picture Kurda. She cleared her mind, letting herself forget Kurda’s face for the moment. She focused hard on what it is you truly wanted in another person. She looked up and found five stars, one for each of the elements, nearby each other.

“I wish he would be noble,” she said, focusing on the eastern star and Air.

She turned her head, deosil, toward the south star and Fire. “I wish he would be vibrant.”

“I wish he would be adaptable,” she said, turned now toward the west star and Water.

She turned toward the north star and Earth. “I wish he would be nurturing.”

Finally she turned into the middle star and Spirit. “I wish he would be charismatic.”

She finished wishing, gazing at her five stars as she took three deep cleansing breaths again, and she stood up.

Kurda stepped from the shadows. “Merry Meet, future Priestess of Nyx.”

Kiana sighed. “I wish you wouldn’t call me that. How much of that did you hear?”

Kurda smiled. “I have exceptional hearing. And now I have something to live up to.”  
Kiana flushed like a strawberry and fingered her Dark Daughters necklace. “Maybe you do.”

“See you tomorrow.”


End file.
